Page 2 HIGH GEAR

NEWS

Civil service case to High Court

In what could prove to be one of the foremost civil rights cases of the last five years, attorneys for Patrick att have petitioned the US Supreme Court to Overturn a recent decision by the Seventh Circuit Court which upheld his dismissal from the Marion Heights Nursing Hom of Milwaukee. for having a "disruptive lifestyle.

Batt. an experienced personnel director. charges that Marion

Media swarm stings gay youth

An article by Dan Daniel in the April issue of Boston's Gay Community News tells that Paul Gilbert has become very wary of

news media.

Gilbert is a 17-year-old high schol junior at Cumberland High School in Cumberland, Rhode

Island. Being gay and wanting to attend his high school junior prom, he decided to attend with a male date. Seeing if any of his gay friends would go with him, he got a yes answer from 22-year-old Ed Miskevich.

When a student at Cumberland High School buys prom tickets, he must register the name of his date with the ticket seller. School officials found out with whom Gilbert wanted to attend and said no.

Gilbert requested, and was granted, a hearing before the School Committee to question the decision of the officials. Gilbert's parents did not as yet oppose his plans but said that they did not want a lot of publicity. Then Gilbert happened to speak to Clara Hemphill of the Associated Press. He asked her not to use his name. He was identified as "Paul," a 17-year-old junior at Cumberland High School when the story appeared on the morning of April 11, in newspapers across the United States.

Newspaper, radio, and television reporters descended upon the town of Cumberland, with reporters asking students at the high school for their opinions.

Gilbert's father contacted the School Committee to request that his son's request for a hearing be deleted from the committee agenda. The committee agreed to delete it.

Said Gilbert to the Gay Community News, "If I say one more word to anybody about this, he'll throw me out of the house."

Micheal B. Dollinger of the American Civil Liberties Union in • Providence, who has been watching the case closely, said that the School Committee is not quite sure what to do.

Dollinger said that the school committee has asked its lawyers for answers to three basic questions: "What are the rights of gay students to participate in school . activities? What are the rights of parents to limit the participation of, a minor student in student activities? and what are the rights of minor children to participate in such activities in disregard to the wishes of the parent?" Charles Noice of the Rhode

Island Gay Task Force said that if Gilbert would get thrown out of his parents' house he would become, in legal terms, an "emancipated minor" and would be entitled to more consideration

under the law than he is now. Said Noice to the Gay Community News, "The ACLU has volunteer lawyers who are chomping at the bit to take this case to court if necessary, but his parents are complicating the issue. We just have to wait now for Paul to decide on any future action."

Ed Miskevich, who is Gilbert's friend and not his lover as the various media have implied, is a former president of the Rhode Island School of Design's Gay

Student's Association and an organizer of Providence Gay Youth.

Miskevich scored the news media for sensationalizing the case. He noted especially the "cavalier attitude" towards the case in Rhode Island which he said finds expression even in the state legislature. He quoted one legislator as asking. "Who is going to lead in the slow dances?"

Gilbert said that he has received so many face-to-face threats at school that he is being followed around during school hours by the principal, the vice principal, and the assistant vice-

principal.

Said Gilbert to Gay Commun⚫ ity News. I definitely did not expect all this outrageous publicity. In fact. I was rather shocked when all this came out on TV and all I went to school and people were telling me about it."

At least one television network news team has been trying to get an interview with Gilbert. Gilbert refuses to talk with them.

Gilbert and Miskevich said that they spoke to the Gay Community News to reach a fairly "select audience" and let gay people know exactly what is happening.

Heights violated his constitui tional rights to free om of speech association, privacy, due process and equal protection under the law, when it fired him after learning that he was homosexual

The nursing home has refused. to substantiate any disruption. discuss details of the firing, or otherwise explain its actions. despite legal and religious pressure. Only two months before his dismissal. Batt had been rated "very good by the home's director in a comprehensive employment evaluation.

In confronting Bat: with then knowledge of his gay lifestyle in May of 1977. th board of directors offered him a month's severance pay and a sterling recommendation in exchange to his resignation, which h refused Batt was subsequent:y fired and evicted from his office the same day.

Attorney? contend that massive governmental funding. under Medicare Medicaid and other federal programms which comprise 5 per cent of Marion Height's budget, ma le the hone a public enterprise, subject to the same legal protections granted to Civil Service employees in govern ental positions

Gays in churches workshop held in Athens

ATHENS, OHIO: A workshop. "Homosexuality and the Church: Learn to ask the right questions," was sponsored March 31 by United Ministry at Ohio University. Designed for "lay and ordained Christians and others, intrested," the workshop focuses on the role of Gay people in the local church. Two panel discussions. "Theological and Biblical Perspectives on Homosexuality" and "Gays in the Church Speak for Themselves." were followed by several small groups dealing with related

issues.

The workshop ended with discussion of models for education in the local church. and a closing worship.

The people in attendance were primarily local church people who are gay themselves, and a few concerned non-gay people.

It's important for Gay people in. the church to keep a sense of humor, said Sandra Browders. national coordinator of Presby terian Gay Caucus. She spoke of the tension that can come when interacting with non-under-

THEOLOGICAL AND BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVES ON HOMOSEXUALITY was theme of this panel discussion during a workshop in Athens, on March 31. Speakers, from left, are the Rev. Angeline Umbertino, district coordinator for the Great Lakes Region of the Metropolitan Community Church; the Rev. Roger Tappert, a Lutheran Pastor from Indianapolis and speaking, the Rev. Chester Chambers, Coordinator from Metropolitan Ministries, Toledo District, United Methodist Church (Lee Everett)

standing people. "Finally we reach the point that we want to stand up and emotionally shout "I'm Gay" just to release the tension." She spoke of the value of being able to laugh at our selves and maintain a sense of perspective.

Dr. Ralph Blair, president of Evangelicals concerned, spoke of Gay people in the evangelical community. He had available several books that he had written for this organization.

Rev. Angeline Umbertino. District Coordinator of the Great Lakes District, Metropolitan Community Church, did a survey of the Biblical verses that have been traditionally used to support disapproval of homosexuality. She explained how a biased

interpretation of these verses has been used by many to "justify" a negative attitude. She also observed how people who are sexually different are ofter. lumped into the category "Gay.' even when these people are not homosexual. A church member at the conference observed how bisexual people often face a double discrimination, not being accepted by either the Gay community or the non-gay community. The need for positive Gay role models was also expressed.

The workshop was a positive information-sharing and community building event. The true strength of this event will show itself when the positive changes that were discussed can begin to happen in the local church.

PRO meetings scheduled

Women... There are other women who are making time to listen to and support each other in Toledo...join us... Womens' Rap Group, sponsored by PRO Toledo. Monday nights at 8:00 PM St. John Community Center, 513 Magnolia Street. For more information, call PRO 419-2439351.

PRO General Membership Business Meeting...We don't 'want to miss your input and opinevery month at 8:00 PM St. John ions! Join us the first Tuesday of Community Center, 513 Magnolia Street, Toledo.It's time you became a member of PRO. Call 419-243-9351.

For the social affair of your week...PRO coffees...sponsored by PRO Toledo Tuesday nights

at 8:00 PM except for the first Tuesday of every month...variety of homey meeting places...for locations a..1 directions call PRO 419-243-91

PRO Board Meetings...third Sunday of every month for locations and directions, call PRO at 419-243-9351. Open to all...bring your business to the PRO Board Meetings!

Cover photo

The Impact of Montgomery Clift is discussed by George Brown in his extensive review in this issue of those two bestselling blographies.